Slayers Journey
by Alexielle Kentras
Summary: Long, in progress. Three years later, things have been the same for Gourry and Lina, sans worldsaving adventures anyway. Till now. Lina's reunited with old friends and meets new people as she becomes entangled in the Monsters' plot to destroy the world!
1. Episode 01: New Places, Old Faces

_It's three years after the end of _Slayers Try_, and things have gone on pretty normally for Lina and Gourry since then -- without any new world-saving adventures, anyway. Until now . . . Lina is reunited with old friends and meets a variety of new people with different motives and abilities as she becomes entangled in the Monsters' plot to actually destroy the world themselves this time!_

_At twenty-one years old, is Lina going to finally start showing signs of slowing down, of becoming less impetuous? Don't bet your ass on it, but she's definitely learned some new tricks! Meanwhile, Gourry seems to content to stay by her side forever, like he'd once said he'd like to. But is a powerful memory really that easily left behind? And then there's Zelgadis, who seems to have become resigned to the way things are, but he can't even begin to guess at the surprises that Fate has in store for him. Amelia's changed a lot as well, taking on a lot of responsibilities for her kingdom, although there's no way her passion for virtue and justice will ever diminish! More of your favorite _Slayers_ characters return in a story about living, loving, and growing up in a world of adventure, fun, and the pursuit of dreams -- bringing to mind Lina's words, that the future is like a beautiful flower that has yet to unfurl._

_Meet new characters as well -- the beautiful, stately Trayna, who wields a deadly scythe and carries a past fraught with mystery; the temperamentally-challenged Ivy, whose mixed bloods lend her powers most couldn't even dream of; and Derec, the innocent gate guard who has no idea what he's in for when he decides to follow his heart, and that means joining up with Lina and company!_

_This is no one-shot. Settle in for the long ride! Check back for frequent updates!_

**Episode 01: New Places, Old Faces**

To make a long story short, three years later, Lina Inverse was exactly the same.

It was true that she hadn't saved the world, cast the Giga Slave, or seen Amelia or Zelgadis lately, but Lina didn't worry about these things anyway until they showed up in her life. Saved a lot of stress that way. All she had to worry about was food, treasure, and finding Gourry a new sword. They hadn't come up with a suitable replacement for the Sword of Light yet, as Gourry was being picky about it. Then again, Lina would've preferred the Sword of Light too. Too bad about that.

Outside of the barrier, the world was humongous, and there was so much to explore. Although magic-users were rare in the greater world, Lina of course being one of a kind anyway, there were still a few powerful folks who liked to make trouble, and there was always a surfeit of bandits to punish in a style that would make Amelia proud (or in some cases, actually protest . . . but that was only when they'd actually said or done something to _merit_ a Dragon Slave in the face, really).

Too bad there was no magic in the world that could save her from all the flat jokes. At age 21, she'd gotten as tall and as full-figured as she guessed she was ever going to get. Lina, toweling her hair dry after her bath, took the time to study her reflection in the mirror over the basin. Clever red eyes under a shock of long, lustrously curly red hair looked back at her, set in a cute face above a femininely petite and winsomely slender body. Nothing to complain about there. So what if she wasn't as well-endowed as certain dark-haired princesses she'd known; she had plenty of good attributes. So why was she wondering if Gourry ever thought she was cute?

Lina shook her head, turning away to start pulling on her clothes. Red leggings, tunic, yellow bra band and briefs, gray boots, black headband. She left off her sword belt, gloves, and cape with its shoulder epaulettes since they were just going to breakfast downstairs. Getting interrupted during a meal was hardly an unheard-of occurrence, but hopefully fate wouldn't toy with her that way today. Oh, the many, many delicious meals that had been ruined thanks to people coming through walls, the ceiling collapsing, or some idiot showing up at the wrong place at the wrong time and deciding to piss Lina off, with rather explosive results.

After breakfast, they were going to check out the city's museum. It was incredibly famous and held countless records of magical artifacts, enchanted weapons, and spells long lost to most sorcerous organizations. It had taken them weeks to get here, way down at the southern tip of the continent, and it was colder here than she liked even in the middle of summer, but she was practically drooling with anticipation of the museum's opening this morning. Or at least she would be after she was done drooling over the idea of breakfast.

She headed downstairs, pausing before the last few steps to note the sounds of dishes clattering and food being scarfed down. Ahh, Gourry was awake already. A smile quirked her lips as she entered the room and plopped down next to her traveling companion and self-titled protector. "Good morning, Lina," Gourry said amiably, or at least that was what he said after Lina translated it from mouth-full-ese.

"Innkeeper! Get me another order of whatever he'd had so far and everything he's got coming too!" Lina yelled, eyeing Gourry's food hungrily. Bacon, omelets, grapefruit, sausage, boiled eggs, toast, cinnamon oatmeal, pancakes . . . Gourry started edging his food away from her. She quickly swiped some toast. "Boy, am I starving!"

"I'm gonna be the one who's starving if you eat all my food," Gourry complained. Lina ignored him, taking some bacon too. Luckily the cook was speedy and Gourry was saved from further thievery as Lina set into her morning's meal. It was awhile before either one spoke again, though they were plenty noisy. "Ahh . . . That hit the spot," Gourry sighed contentedly once he was done. "I'm ready to face the world again."

Lina glanced over at her blonde bodyguard briefly. "Hard to do without a sword, ain't it?" she remarked, finishing off a ham and cheese omelet.

Gourry blinked at her with blue eyes that tended to border on vacant. He wore a light blue shirt and trousers tucked into dark blue boots, his usual dark blue armor absent at the moment. "I have a sword," he objected. "I just don't like it."

"Yeah, so you refuse to use it unless you have to," Lina grumbled. "Leaving me to do all the work. Like with those wild trolls the other day. And the bandits the week before that. And that crazy pretend-magician a month earlier with the big ugly mechanical golem thing . . ."

"I'm still useful!" Gourry said cheerily. "Remember those ice-orcs? I got rid of those all my myself. You were too busy swimming around."

"I was stuck under the ice!" Lina exclaimed, leaning forward and grinding a fist into the top of his head. "You coulda gotten me out before I was half-drowned, you know! Augh, you jellyfish brain."

Gourry rubbed his head puzzledly as she sat back, then smiled at her. Lina rolled her eyes. You couldn't stay mad at him. Besides, he was still useful, even without the Sword of Light . . . sometimes. Occasionally. He made a good decoy. And, well, he was stubborn as hell and never gave up. She could count on him. For simple tasks, anyway.

Plus, having someone around who ate as much as she did made her look not so bad. Mmm, food. Her thoughts were distracted away by the last few plates of her morning meal.

"The museum opens in half an hour," Lina said, finally done. She crossed her arms behind her head and studied the stack of empty plates with a glow of contentment. "We'll see if there are any records of powerful swords there. Then see what we can do about stealing -- I mean . . . um . . . becoming their caretakers." She smiled brightly for the benefit of anyone who had overheard her, eyes sliding to the side.

"Stealing what?" came a familiar darkly-toned voice.

Lina nearly tipped over backward in her chair, grabbing the edge of the table to steady herself just in time. Upside-down, she stared at Zelgadis. "Zel! What are you doing here?"

"Zelgadis!" Gourry said, seeing who had spoken.

Of medium height for a guy, which put him considerably above Lina but below Gourry, Zelgadis possessed blue eyes, silvery blue hair, and stony skin he normally covered up with a cowl topping his off-white tunic and trousers. About six years ago, shortly before Lina met him, his body had been replaced with a magical creation, and he had been looking for a cure ever since. Lina wasn't sure if he'd always had a grim bent or if that had happened after he'd been turned chimera, but Zelgadis always tried to be serious, and rarely smiled. Even now in the presence of two old friends, his mouth only held the hint of a curve. As far as Lina could tell, he seemed relatively unchanged since they had last seen one another.

"Same thing as you, I suspect," Zelgadis said, folding himself into a chair on the other side of Lina. "Investigating the famous Ruinana Museum. I see you made it just in time for their annual opening."

"Oh yeah," Lina said with relish, having righted herself. "The good ol' Lina luck is still holding out strong. I take it you're still looking for a way to turn your body back to normal, huh?"

Surprisingly, Zel shrugged. "It would be nice, but at this point a pleasant surprise, not my objective. I don't think any magic exists in this world that can restore something that has been lost. Not that mere humans could grasp, anyway."

"You mean you're giving up?" said Gourry. "Then what are you here for?"

Zelgadis was silent for a moment before he spoke. "To see what I can find."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lina wanted to know. He just shrugged. Her eyebrows lowered, and the fiery redhead said, "You're worse than Xellos sometimes."

"It's been a thankfully long time since I've seen that Monster," Zel commented, smoothly changing the subject. "How about you? Had any more trouble with the Monster race? I can hardly imagine them leaving you alone, considering everything that happened."

Lina shrugged one shoulder eloquently, crossing her arms in a posture of indifference. "They haven't been bothering you, have they? It's not like you didn't play a role with Shabranigdo, or Phibrizzo, or Darkstar. You're too modest, Zel. No, I haven't heard a peep from them in all this time, but I've been wandering way out of my old territory, so that's not surprising."

"I'm not the one who kept casting chaos magic," Zel muttered. Before Lina could respond to that, he added, "Isn't the museum opening soon? Don't you want to beat the crowds?"

Lina grinned. "You think I'm gonna wait in line?"

In a remarkable observation, in his case, Gourry said, "Yeah right, this is Lina we're talking about."

---

The museum had attracted folks of all levels of powers and nationalities, some from even further than Lina had come, but a dreadful reputation always managed to travel the furthest. Lina had no problem terrorizing hapless sorcerers and sorceresses into letting her to the front of the line, although more than one mentioned the interpretation of Dragon-Spooker that tended to get her a little ticked off. Those ones she showed just what made her so damn spooky.

Nearly wiggling with excitement behind the red velvet rope that stretched in front of the double doors, Lina entertained herself with fantasies of what lay beyond while Gourry waited patiently and Zelgadis observed with bemusement. 'They haven't changed in the slightest. Why am I even surprised?' the chimera wondered.

The great clock on top of the museum boomed the hour in a deep chime. "All right!" Lina declared. "Time to see what kind of treasures this place holds!" Her breath steamed in the cold air as she looked expectantly to the gilded doors that lay beyond a veritable cliff of marble steps. The shield that surrounded the entire edifice glimmered translucently just before the entrance, humming on the magical senses of everyone present.

Nothing happened.

The crowd started shifting and muttering as the minutes ticked by. Lina grew more and more displeased. Gourry got kinda nervous. Zel resigned himself to the inevitable. But then, the doors did swing open, revealing a tall, statuesque woman with pretty strawberry blonde hair held back by a white headband, pale green eyes under a parted fringe of bangs, and a stunning outfit consisting of a dark green, sleeveless, full-body leotard topped by a distinctive gold-colored coat trimmed in white. This odd coat was cut under her breasts, tied over them, left her shoulders bare, and went to her knees, flaring open at the hips after a line of silver hook-and-eyes. Upper-arm length arm covers matched it, though they were separate. The ensemble was completed with shiny black gloves and boots and a shockingly lethal scythe she held casually in one hand, the top of the blade balanced on the marble floor behind her. Her expression was somewhat pained, like she had a headache, but it didn't detract from her stunning appearance in the slightest.

"Wow . . ." Gourry was the first to speak. "It's Lina, if she was hot."

He was briefly reduced to a sparkle in the distant clear blue sky, before he landed with a crash in his former position. Lina dusted her gloves and turned her gaze on this obviously important character. "You're late," she said flatly.

The new redhead ignored her, stepping forward and lifting her free hand to address the crowd as though she didn't already have their full and utter attention. She passed through the shield effortlessly. "Welcome, travelers," she called, her voice startlingly low-pitched. Lina thought dourly that that probably only made her more attractive. The woman went on. "On the behalf of all the Ruinana Curators, I'd like to thank you for coming this far to visit our humble museum . . ."

"Why does that sound like the beginnings of an apology?" Zel muttered.

"Not necessarily," Lina whispered hopefully.

"But at this time, the museum cannot be opened to the public."

The crowd started shifting angrily. Bravely, the woman continued. "You see, it was the site of an attempted burglary last night, and the incident is still being investigated. We should be opening on a delayed schedule some time next week, if the offender has been apprehended by then . . ."

"Someone was dumb enough to try to break into the Ruinana Museum?" Zel remarked dryly.

Now the woman turned her attention to the foot of the steps, in particular the small, distinctive group that stood there. She took in the short redhead, the collapsed swordsman, and the depressed chimera in a glance, but kept her voice tall enough for everyone to hear. "Yes. Our defenses are quite formidable, but the attempt was still made, and it was a distressingly close call. We cannot give out details at this time, but we advise the general public to be cautious in their daily affairs."

"Huh, must have been someone really scary," Gourry said, picking himself up. "If they're warning people about him." The crowd was starting to disperse, disappointed.

"Or her." Zel glanced at Lina.

"It wasn't me!" Lina exclaimed immediately. "You think if I tried to do something and failed, I'd quit and meekly do it the right way?" She arched one eyebrow challengingly.

"She has a point," Gourry agreed.

Zel nodded. "Unless the defenses were just that good . . . which I've heard they are," he pointed out. "She could still have something up her sleeve." Gourry considered that.

The tall woman on the steps watched as the crowd of people broke up and departed. She still wore an expression of discomfort. Lina studied her while Gourry and Zel were conferring about Lina's liability of being the culprit. It didn't seem likely that this woman would hand out any more information about this possible threat . . . Time to find someone who would, so that she could clear this up and investigate the museum's treasures as soon as possible. Lina spun on her heel and marched out of the courtyard with Gourry in tow. In moments they had cleared the gate, leaving the area nearly deserted.

"Your soul," Zel said, his voice vaguely surprised. The woman flinched violently and jerked her head down to stare at the one man who remained.

"W--what?" she managed to say, drawing backward.

Zelgadis stepped forward to the rope, studying her intently. "Your astral body has been damaged. You were there during the battle last night."

She clasped her other hand around the staff of her scythe behind her, looking at Zelgadis uncertainly. "What of it? I work here, obviously. Don't hope that I will tell you what happened, because at this time we cannot afford rumors and --"

"But it wasn't a normal astral attack."

She stared at him for a moment, then, swinging her great scythe up onto one shoulder with an ease that passingly reminded Zel of Filia, turned away, back into the shield. Her voice was muffled when she spoke next. "Go, shaman. You will find no more information here."

Zel's eyes narrowed with a hint of amusement. "You never gave a name."

She paused, not turning to look at him again. "Trayna." The doors swung shut between them of their own volition.

"Huh," Zel murmured.

---

The first guard shack Lina came across while prowling around outside the perimeter proved to have a tired-looking young man with black hair, blue eyes, and wire-framed glasses. He was guarding one of the side entrances, alone. Lina moseyed over casually, Gourry following after.

He glanced up from his book, and quickly put it down, hurrying out to meet her. "Excuse me, miss, but you're not supposed to be here," he called. Lina stopped and let him come to her. "Visitors go to the front entrance," he explained, a hopeful smile on his face.

"Except for the unwanted kind who try to break in, I suppose," Lina replied innocently. Stepping forward, she propped an elbow up on his shoulder -- he was taller than she was, in his late teens, but not as tall as Gourry -- and pressed her body alongside his, smiling charmingly. "Tell me, how could something like that happen?"

"I -- um -- well --" He was completed red-faced and flustered. Gourry coughed into his hand to hide a snicker.

"A tough guy like you must've been _instrumental_ in defending the museum," Lina went on. "What part did you play?"

"Well, I -- uh --" He cleared his throat. "I was actually there, but, uh, I'm not allowed to talk about it, you see." He tried to disengage from her. She clung to him determinedly.

"I bet you actually saw the burglar!" Lina enthused. She batted her eyelashes at him. "Was he really scary looking?"

"Well, no, she was a pretty normal looking girl . . . I mean . . ."

"Was she a redhead?" Lina dimpled. "Do you like redheads?"

"Oh, _yes_," he said immediately, his eyes going a little starry. Lina blinked at the unexpected reaction, but then he snapped out of it. "Uh, but she wasn't a redhead, no. I really can't talk about it, though, I'm sorry, miss."

"He's in love with the hot Lina," Gourry observed to no one in particular. No one in particular heard him.

The guard tried to pull away again. This time, Lina let him go, dropping the cute act and instead appealing to his sensible side. "Look, pal, I want just as much as you to see this girl put away where she belongs, so that the museum can open again," she said frankly. "And I really want to know what makes her a menace to the public. My name's Lina Inverse and trust me, I've taken care of bigger things than this. I promise I won't tell anyone what you tell me, and even on pain of death I won't tell anyone _who_ told me. Which won't be hard since I don't know your name anyway."

He wavered visibly. "Well . . . It would be best if this were all cleared up as soon as possible . . . with as little threat to Tr-- the museum as possible . . ." He cleared his throat again, and glanced around before drawing Lina and Gourry off to the side, behind a large bush. "I can't tell you much, though, just what I saw and what I've overheard. First off, she was a young woman with short blue hair and blue eyes, dressed in blue and white, not too tall, and didn't have any weapons. She ran through the gate and broke through the shield around the museum, no sweat. That's all I saw. But . . ." Here he hesitated.

"But?" Lina prodded.

"But . . . she had magic. She did something to Trayna. That's the museum's top guide, you've probably seen her if you've been here before 'cause she greets everyone . . . She's real nice." A wistful smile came to his face, and only when Lina frowned did he remember what he was saying. "Oh, uh, she hurt Trayna somehow. No one will tell me anything 'cause I'm just a gate guard, but they're all in an uproar about it. Trayna seems okay to me, besides being upset, though . . ."

"Yeah, she didn't look hurt at all," Gourry said puzzledly. The young man shrugged helplessly.

"That was inside. Only the Curators know what happened there."

Lina and Gourry exchanged a look.

---

"The Curators aren't just guides and experts on the museum's treasures and records, they're live-in protectors -- powerful fighters and sorcerers. You have to pass an incredibly hard test to just earn the right to train to become one. Even after they make it, they train constantly, and dedicate their lives to the museum. In return they get access to all kinds of lost knowledge and powers. However, very few ever make it into their ranks."

Lina, Gourry, and Zel were back at the inn for lunch. Zel was still picking at his food, but Lina and Gourry were long done with their fourth and fifth portions. The famed sorceress paused before adding, "So it's no wonder they're unnerved that someone managed to nearly get in last night."

"Yeah, sounds like they'd have to be really tough," Gourry said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "That blue-haired girl must've been something special."

"You got a description?" Zel asked. Lina nodded.

"Blue hair and eyes, short, sorceress. She got through the museum's shield like it was nothing."

"Hmm." Zel blinked slowly. "All I could ascertain was that the intruder must possess some kind of odd shaman magic. The woman who spoke this morning showed signs of a battle, but not any I've ever seen before."

"She was attacked astrally? That explains it." Lina nodded. "They said she was hurt. I didn't notice any astral damage, though."

"You'd have to be something of an expert to pick it up." Zel smiled modestly. "The damage was a very strange pattern, and subtle. Very clean, though."

"Clean?" Gourry said, mystified.

"You mean like her soul was sliced, not blasted?" Lina asked, eyebrows rising.

Zel nodded in agreement. "Entirely unlike anything I've ever seen before."

"Huh." Lina subsided into silence for a minute. "Astral magic . . ."

Gourry glanced between her and Zel. "You know, I get the whole white and black magic thing, and I guess it makes sense that if you mix them together you get that wacky chaos magic, but what exactly is shaman magic?" he wondered.

"Funny you should ask," Lina said sarcastically, then leaned forward to explain. "It's hard to describe, but shaman magic is tied into astral bodies -- souls -- and also the earth and nature around us. Lots of people pick it up, but few people learn all of its ins and outs. It's hard to be careful and deliberate with it. You're more likely just gonna end up blasting someone."

"So, this girl did something special?" Gourry said, quite intuitively.

"Yeah, she did." Lina considered for a moment. "Lots of shaman magic has been lost to time. More even than holy magic, which these days is just a shadow of its former self in the form of white magic. No one knows just what shaman magic was made for, or by, anymore."

"Indeed," said Zelgadis. "The young woman who attacked the museum last night seems to already have more magical knowledge than most of us, at least in that area."

"Then why'd she want to get into the museum, if she already knows so much?" Gourry wanted to know.

"Beats me," Lina said with a shrug. "But I'm willing to bet that after almost getting in once, she's not gonna just give up. I wouldn't, anyway. So she's probably not far."

"That sounds probable," Zel agreed. "But there is one thing that has been bothering me."

"What's that?" Lina asked.

"I've been with you guys all day long, and nothing's exploded yet."

They all digested this in silence.

"Yeah, huh . . . That is pretty strange," Gourry mused.

Lina was already looking around suspiciously. That had sounded too much like an omen for her comfort. But instead of someone crashing into the inn, she noticed someone who was already there, against all probability.

He looked up from his newspaper, a cup of steaming tea in front of him and his signature staff leaning against the table next to him. "Oh, hello, Lina," Xellos said, less than three feet away.

The self-titled Mysterious Priest was a unique if unassuming-looking guy, with dark shoulder-length hair, dressed in a yellow shirt and black pants with a black cloak edged in tan and red over it. He constantly looked happy and unconcerned, and his voice had an innocent lilt. But when the façade was lifted, he was revealed as a ruthless Monster, though he did have a mischievous side most of the time.

"It's -- It's --!" Gourry paused. "What's his name again?"

"Xellos!" Zel said, incredulous.

Lina sat brooding, a cloud of black funk around her. Her voice was a nearly inaudible mutter. "Figures. It just figures. Three years without getting bothered, and suddenly people start showing up all at once. Next thing you know, I'll be casting the Giga Slave."

"Actually, I couldn't care less about you, Lina." Xellos smiled reassuringly. "I'm here on totally unrelated business. And I doubt you could help. I did mean to warn you, though . . ." He paused to take a sip of his tea while the others waited with varying levels of irritation. "It could get messy around here pretty soon. You should probably leave."

One of Lina's eyebrows slowly climbed as she listened. She rested one fist against her cheek and sent him a slant-eyed gaze. "Huh . . . Since when don't you try to use me to accomplish whatever task it is you've been told to do? Either me leaving will let something happen, or you're worried I'm going to get whatever it is you're after first. Isn't that right."

"Ah . . . Well, that is . . ." Xellos said, chagrined.

"Keep your secrets if you want, Xellos, but when I set out to do something I don't just quit because things 'get messy.'" Lina smirked, leaning back. "And I want in that museum, so if I have to find the burglar myself, I will."

Xellos opened one eye and peered at her briefly. Lina blinked in surprise at the normally jovial priest's sudden seriousness when he spoke. "I wouldn't interfere if I were you, Lina. Come back to the museum next year . . . This year isn't a very good one for tourists."

"Is that a threat?" Zelgadis growled. "Because I intend to complete my research here, and I don't have the time to waste. I'm not leaving either."

"Research?" Lina inquired. Zel ignored her.

"Fine, fine," Xellos said, back to his usual cheery self. He picked up his teacup. "But don't say I didn't warn you. Time-tasters are as big a threat to you as you are to them."

Zel's eyes widened. "Did you say --!"

"What's a time-taster?" Gourry interrupted.

Xellos sweatdropped and Zelgadis facepalmed, but Lina just shook her head. "Actually, I'm not surprised you don't know about them," she remarked. "Most countries even inside the old barrier had forgotten about them. They've been believed extinct since the War of the Monsters Fall, and were never too abundant to begin with. Suffice it to say that . . ." She reflected a moment. "They're like vampires of the soul. They can steal pieces of it, granting them your abilities. Someone who stole a piece of Xellos' soul could transport around like a Monster, while someone who stole a piece of mine could cast the Giga Slave. And someone who stole yours could be as good a swordsman as you are."

"But she's just a girl!" Gourry objected. He flexed a bicep. "She doesn't have the muscle that I do. How could she swing around a sword just as well?"

"She wouldn't really be a Monster either, or already have the natural talent for magic that I have, but that wouldn't stop her from using our abilities if she got a piece of Xellos' or my soul." Lina shrugged, then added, "Not that I couldn't kick your ass any day, so don't you ever say 'just a girl again.'" Her tone made Gourry shrink back.

"Steals pieces of the soul . . ." Zel muttered. "No, that doesn't make any sense."

"Hm?" Lina said.

"If you really want into that museum, you can wait until everything is cleared up." Xellos lifted his shoulders slightly and sipped his tea. "But I wouldn't advise getting involved with the intruder. For your own sakes."

Lina sent Xellos a look. "I can't tell if you're really trying to warn me off, or if you're trying to get me to do the opposite."

He smiled and shrugged again. "Think as you like. I've got things to take care of." And the Monster vanished, teacup, staff, and all.

"As unhelpful as ever," Lina grumbled.

"That's not true," Gourry pointed out. "He told us that the blue-haired girl is a time-taster, didn't he?"

"He suggested it, anyway," Zel said darkly. "He's probably leading us to think whatever it is he wants us to think."

"But you said that Curator, Trayna, did show signs of a weird, powerful shaman attack." Lina crossed her arms and tapped her fingers on her upper arms thoughtfully. "Plus, Xellos did seem pretty serious about us leaving. Maybe there is going to be a big fight, and he doesn't want us involved."

"Whatever it is, I'm not leaving," Zel said, flatly. He averted his gaze, studying the slice of the city that was visible out of the inn's windows.

"What did you mean anyway, when you said you had research to do and no time to waste?" Lina asked, eyeing Zel narrowly.

Gourry said, "Yeah, Zel, why aren't you telling us what's up? We're your friends, you know."

Zel glanced to him, then to Lina. "It's not that I don't trust you guys . . ." he said quietly. "But it's something I have to do on my own."

"All right," Lina said cheerily, slapping Zel on the shoulder a little too hard. "If it's too personal, we won't bug ya about it. But if we can help, just let us know how."

Zelgadis actually smiled. Well, a little.

"So, back to the main issue," Lina said, hands splayed on the tabletop. She affected a serious mode. "If this girl really is a time-taster, we might actually be getting in over our heads. Like Xellos said, she's gonna be as big a threat to us as we are to her -- if she uses her powers on us. Luckily, legend says they actually have to have physical contact before they can steal a piece of your soul. So I think we three can take her. The problem is, we have to find her first."

"Right," Gourry said. "And she's probably still around somewhere."

"And the museum workers know what she looks like, and others like us might've found out too, so she's probably hiding somewhere out of sight," Zelgadis said.

"She'll probably try again, as soon as possible, rather than give everyone time to find her," Gourry reasoned.

"So, tonight." Lina nodded. "We need to stake out the museum tonight. Preferably without anyone knowing, since I doubt the Curators want our help. Their reputation is damaged enough as it is after last night, I doubt they'd want anyone butting in."

"Speaking of damaged," Zelgadis said, "Trayna appears to have been the time-taster's latest victim. What powers should we expect our foe to have when we meet her?"

"Good question," Lina said. "Just what was Trayna capable of? She had that scythe, but I doubt the time-taster is going to find one on short notice. But Trayna probably had powerful magic too, especially if she's the museum's head Curator. So keep your eye out for some serious spellcasting."

"Got it," Gourry said.

Lina turned a smirk on her bodyguard. "I guess your second-rate sword's gonna come in handy for once, huh?"

"Eh, maybe." He shrugged casually. Zel raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask.

"We've got a plan," Lina declared.

---

It was overcast by the time night fell, veiling the world in murky darkness. Snow threatened from the heavy clouds, keeping everyone indoors. Overall, a great night for a second attempt at burglary. Lina found herself wondering just what the girl wanted. Couldn't she have waited till the museum was open, at least? Or maybe . . . Maybe she didn't want anyone else to have whatever it was she was after.

The short but spunky redhead was trying to pin down what that thought had reminded her of when she caught sight of something. It was just a blur in midair. She blinked. A Monster? Was it Xellos? Wait . . . He was what that idea had reminded her of. She pushed that note to the back of her mind as she sneaked closer to the side of the museum, using the ornamental shrubbery as cover. The one she had uprooted and was carrying around, that is.

The blur scratched in and out of sight until it had reached the shield around the edifice. There, it paused in midair long enough for Lina to get a good view of it. A young woman, close to the age Amelia had been when Lina first met her, with softly curling, shoulder-length blue hair and contrastingly piercing blue eyes. Clunky white boots ended below blue-clad knees that stretched up into thighs around which a gauzy skirt floated, anchored at the hips with silver chains. Her bodysuit was white with crisscrossing straps, and silver-trimmed crystal shoulder guards trailed a filmy cape behind shoulder-length, fingerless dark blue gloves. She reached up with one delicate hand to tuck a strand of hair back from her face, and Lina blinked in surprise to see a slightly pointed ear revealed.

The girl stretched her hands forward, then, tracing a half of a circle with each fingertip, from top to bottom. The shape glowed on the surface of the shield, then vanished abruptly, leaving a hole. The girl glanced around once before heading inside through one of the unlocked windows.

Lina sent up a small light spell to bring Zel and Gourry; it flickered twice, and went out. Easily mistaken for a trick of the eyes or an out-of-season firefly. Then again, those were always out of season here. Oh well, the real guards were likely inside anyway, ready for the girl's arrival. If they were expecting a frontal attack like last time, though, they were in for a surprise. This time, she was trying to be sneaky. Good thing Lina and company were one step ahead of the game.

Zel and Gourry arrived shortly with their own cover. Lina pointed up to the hole in the shield, which was only obvious to the magical senses, and Zel nodded. Gourry blinked blankly, but Lina just picked him up with a softly-whispered Ray Wing, holding a finger to her lips as she settled his arms around her waist. He nodded and clung for dear life as they rose. Zel followed after.

Getting Gourry through the small hole without bumping the edges of the shield was tricky, but with Zel's help, they managed it. The blonde even managed to not put his hands anywhere they didn't belong. Lina counted her blessings as Zel checked the open window before indicating they could go inside. They touched down in what seemed to be a decent-sized study with only a muffled thud or two. It was dark within, the lanterns cold. Bookshelves, a desk, and a door were faintly lit by what light filtered through the clouds from the stars outside. Everything, including them, was blue-tinted.

"These appear to be the dormitories," Zel murmured. "Through that door should be a bedroom, then a hallway. We can find the gallery from there."

"Right," Lina whispered, edging to the door. She eased it open, but despite a candle burning at the bedside, the room appeared currently uninhabited. There were no signs of a battle, so it had probably been empty when the girl came through too. Lina led them to the other door, only to find it somehow locked from the outside.

"Who are you?" demanded a feminine voice coldly.

Zel, Gourry, and Lina turned quickly to find that standing in the doorway of the room they had just come from was standing the girl Lina had spied earlier. Her arms were crossed under her breasts, one foot pointed towards them in a challenging pose.

"Woah . . . It's Amelia, if she was hot," Gourry said.

"What?" Zelgadis said, nonplused.

"Shut up, Gourry," Lina snapped. She turned her eyes on this girl. "No common burglar deserves to know our names."

The girl smirked. "You just told me his." She waved a hand at Gourry. Lina's eyebrow twitched. "But anyway, I'm far from common. My name is Ivy and you really don't want to be meddling in my business. Things are likely to get messy around here pretty soon."

That was twice in all the time Lina had known her, a whole two minutes, that she had reminded her of a certain Monster. "Really. Is that what Xellos told you too, or were you the one who told him?"

"Who?" The girl, Ivy, blinked in genuine confusion. Then she shrugged it off. "Whatever. You're obviously as stubborn as I am. There's only one way to make sure you won't be an obstacle."

On those words, Lina and friends assumed defensive positions. Ivy lifted her head and smirked more widely than before; then, she threw her hand out, glowing yellow spheres of power spraying towards the other three. Lina and Zel jumped to one side while Gourry jumped to the other, drawing his sword. Some of the spheres impacted against the wall, exploding with tremendous force disproportional to their size, while others curved around to come after their targets. Gourry blocked them with his sword, which repelled the magic with suspicious ease, while Zel threw up a shield around himself and Lina. He grunted as the explosive spells impacted.

Lina's eyes narrowed. That wasn't normal black magic. Ivy hadn't spoken a word. With a call, the redhead slung back a fireball as Ivy lifted her hand to cast, causing the girl to have to dodge. Although Lina had seen her teleporting earlier, Ivy threw herself to the side physically, coming up from a roll with a new sphere for Lina. This one was yellow with orange streaks, and glowed more powerfully as it arced toward them. At the same time, Gourry lunged for the girl, sword at the ready. Lina didn't see what happened as she and Zel jumped in opposite directions to avoid Ivy's second attack, but Gourry hit the wall next to her a second after the explosion. "Ouch," he complained, staggering on his feet. "She's strong!" The wall was barely intact and burned slowly in places. The fact it was still standing had more to do with the fact it was stone paneled over with wood than any lightness of the attacks being aimed at them.

Meanwhile, Zel studied the girl with narrowed eyes. He couldn't use any of his favorite shaman spells on her because the soul piece she possessed was not her own, and did not deserve to be damaged. Bloody violence it was, then. He slapped his palm on the cold floor. "Stone Spiker!"

The girl's eyes widened as the stone beneath her feet trembled, then abruptly shot upward in deadly rock spears. She dodged the first few, but the rest sealed off the other exit, giving her no easy avenue of escape. A rain of Flare Arrows from Lina had Ivy diving over the charred bed and rolling up against the wall, but another few flicked spheres of hers sent the room's furniture flying at her adversaries, making Lina and Zel duck. Gourry was conked with a chair.

Pounding started coming from the door, and muffled voices. "Hear that?" Lina said. "Wanna take on all of us, and the Curators?"

Ivy's eyes were narrow as she rose from her crouch. Her gaze flickered briefly to Gourry and then Zel, then back to Lina. "I could if I wanted." There was no hint of a bluff in her voice.

"Really? 'Cause one person is still just one person. You can't dodge us all forever. And I don't think you can take more than one person's abilities at a time, though you got a sweet deal by getting a piece of a Monster's soul. I bet that's why they want you so bad. Anyway, the odds are against you here. I suggest you give up and hope their court system is lenient."

"Give up?" Ivy laughed aloud. "You have no idea what you're talking about, much less what's at stake. I suggest you start minding your own business, or at least do some research before you jump into things you know nothing about, little girl."

"'Little girl'?" Lina echoed disbelievingly. "How old are you, fifteen?"

"Yeah . . . Hundred. But I'm just wasting time with this chitchat. You've ruined things for now, but I'm not giving up anytime soon." Outside of the room there was a minor explosion, then a stronger one as they tried to tear down the door, but it seemed to have been magically sealed. Ivy's cold gaze didn't waver from Lina's fiery one.

Xellos chose that very moment to crash the party, blurring into existence between the two clashing females. "Why, well, what have we here?" he said cheerfully, tapping with staff on the ground lightly. "Exactly what I didn't want to happen. Not that I was expecting, um . . ." He peered at Ivy, then opened both eyes. "What by the Dark Lord --"

"Monster!" Ivy hissed, a sudden, startlingly powerful hatred to her voice.

"Yeah, it's so obvious, isn't it?" Zel said dryly.

There was no time for further remarks as two things happened at once. Firstly, Ivy threw a tremendously explosive spell at Xellos without even taking a second to prepare, which the startled Monster managed to block, and secondly, the wall behind Lina and friends collapsed under an onslaught of fireballs from the Curators, who came charging in before the rubble had even finished falling. Trayna was at the head of the group, scythe held high over one shoulder, ready to swing. Her gaze landed on Lina, Zel, and Gourry. "What the --"

"Trayna! Look out, he's a Monster!" Ivy cried, pointing at the Monster in question. Xellos scratched his cheek puzzledly. Lina's gaze whipped from Ivy to Trayna and back.

"You _know_ her?"

"Way to blow a cover-up, Ivy!" Trayna complained, taking a better grip on her scythe. "Excuse me," she politely added to Lina, who was standing in the way. Bemused, Lina moved aside, and Trayna faced Xellos. "Scram, Monster. You're the last person we want here."

"Hmm," Xellos said. "Interesting." And he vanished.

"Wow, I wish I could do that," Lina said.

"What's going on?" Gourry whimpered.

"I wish I knew," said Zelgadis.

The other Curators were all looking at each other in similar confusion. Trayna shook her head, her pretty hair swaying. "It's no good, Ivy. Let's get out of here."

"Right," said Ivy, glancing at Lina again. The look was meaningful: We'll settle this later. Then she blasted open the side of the building with a single flare of magic; Lina shielded herself from debris with her cape, but spotted Trayna leaping out the building after Ivy. She ran to the edge and looked out, Gourry and Zel a breath behind her, but the two females were already gone. Lina put a hand against the jagged stone and stared into the darkness.

"Fifteen _hundred_?" Lina Inverse said.

---

"So, who exactly was with who, and what were they after again?" Gourry asked. Lina buried her face in her hands.

"Well," Zelgadis said, "Trayna was apparently in on Ivy breaking into the museum. Ivy probably used her powers on Trayna just for show. But at some point she somehow managed to get ahold of a piece of a Monster's soul, which is probably why Xellos was involved. How she did that, we have no idea. And why Trayna needed Ivy to break in, we don't know either."

"Or why they hate monsters. Or if Ivy is really fifteen hundred years old. Or why the heck Xellos left like he did, without even a fight." Lina tangled her fingers in her hair convulsively.

"I see." Gourry nodded knowingly.

"Sure you do," Lina grunted.

"What a dissatisfying first episode," Zelgadis sighed.

At least her appetite hadn't been affected by all this stress. Stacks of plates adorned the table, a few leaning over threateningly. Lina sighed too. "I need dessert."

_Mer's Notes:_

_I started this fic way back in like '99 or '98, when I joined this website. It's gone through a number of rebirths since then, and here we have the latest incarnation. I see it going a long way this time, with lots of surprises to come, and I hope you'll enjoy the trip! Please leave some feedback; it means a great deal to me. I can't catch all my mistakes, after all, and I'm totally open to suggestions. So comment away!_

_Rights and property and such belong to their owners. I'm writing this fic just for fun and if anyone important has a problem with it, I'll delete it. This goes for every episode I post._


	2. Episode 02: Affording the Best

_Gourry and I met up with Zelgadis for the first time in three years while checking out a famous museum. We were looking for a good replacement for Gourry's sword, but ran into some unexpected complications. One of the museum's caretakers was exposed as a partner to someone trying to break in -- wait, did Xellos say "time-taster"! Those don't exist anymore! And what's Xellos doing here, anyway? Man, I just know I'm going to wind up casting the Giga Slave again . . ._

_Oh well, looks like that strange duo's taken off, and hopefully our friendly Mysterious Priest has gone with them. Time to see what goodies this museum has! And maybe find out what's bugging Zel, too . . ._

**Episode 02: Affording the Best**

Besides the burned-out section of the dormitories, the museum was in pretty good condition despite recent events. Ivy's original attack hadn't done much damage, and they were able to repair the shield after her second. It was about noon and the white walls and towers sparkled prettily above a thin layer of snow.

Lina, Gourry, and Zel, along with a few other magicians and scholars, were entering the main hallway. Marble pillars and delicate etching were in evidence, as well as an array of statues and suits of armor. The group, one of the ten people they would take at a time, was led by a young girl with purple hair and eyes, dressed in somber blue sorcerer's robes. Her obvious maturity beyond her years irked Lina, reminding her of the time taster who got away scot-free.

"Again, we are very sorry about the delay," the guide was saying, her slippered feet tapping along the smooth stone ground. "However, we judged that the threat was over for now, and the investigation could not progress any further, so the tours could begin safely."

"Yeah, 'cause they split," Lina snorted softly. The girl glanced her way with a slight sweatdrop, but for the most part tried to ignore her. The Curators had been startled to see Lina and company, and didn't want to seem ungrateful for the slight part they had played in protecting the museum and chasing off the offenders (however dubious that part may have been), but obviously weren't pleased they had decided to get involved with their business in the first place. Lina was just happy to finally be seeing all the treasures the museum had to offer, although the would-be thieves remained a headache-inducing puzzle.

Their guide stopped at the base of the largest statue in the room, depicting in white stone a heavily-bearded man who carried a scythe. Lina eyed the scythe and then the figure, but decided it was of no significance. Zel was looking at it kinda funny too, but then their guide turned around, a small smile on her young lips. "On the behalf of all the Curators, I'd like welcome you to the Ruinana Museum. We hope you will find our collection of artifacts and records to be fascinating and useful in whatever research you may be composing."

On cue, the statue stood up from its marble chair and swung the scythe high over its head. Half the crowd took a step back in alarm, but the rest were as battle-hardened as Lina and company and didn't even flinch. "Oh, it moved," Gourry remarked.

"However, be advised," the statue rumbled in a deep bass, "that these treasures are guarded by the Curators for life, and with their lives. You are free to study, but not to take." Around the room, the other statues and suits of armor swung up their weapons or thumped their bases on the ground. Lina raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. Could be they would have nothing worth bargaining or fighting for, after all.

The big statue sat back down with a small puff of ground stone, the others following its lead, and the guide smoothly led the group around it and through an archway into another hall. Here she was already waiting for them . . . no, wait, it was a girl who looked exactly like her, except her eyes and hair were dark blue and her robes purple. The difference was subtle and a little maddening to the eye.

The twin girl smiled as her sister stepped up beside her. "I am Ana, and this is Nina. I will be the guide for those who wish to read from our collection of records that make up our famous library, and she will guide those who wish to peruse our various artifacts and weapons that comprise our well-known gallery. After everyone is done, we will switch sides."

"I'm going to the library," Zel said, moving off to the group forming up behind the purple-robed girl. Lina hrmed.

"Let me know if you see anything I might be interested in, Zel, I'm going to check out the treasures with Gourry first," she decided. She and Gourry were joined by three others while four chose the library, making two even groups of five. They set off through opposite archways.

The central building was somewhat wishbone-shaped, with a wing for each aspect of the museum branching off from the main hall. Dormitories securely bracketed each wing. The museum itself really wasn't all that big . . . but there were at least a hundred Curators living there. Each dormitory building was two stories tall, and they seemed to be filled, although according to the normal townspeople the museum's residents never left the enclosure.

Zelgadis walked as patiently as he could after the young girl as she extolled the famousness and expansiveness of the library section, citing documents that dated back to the War of the Monsters Fall, manuscripts of the Claire Bible, and other such rare and ancient records. He didn't know if this place would have anything on the subject he was researching, but he had to try. Absently he pushed up one sleeve briefly, glancing down at his forearm. Black had spread downward from his elbow, giving his stony skin the consistency of charcoal. Who'd ever heard of a chimera disease? Hope flickered in his expression as the girl effortlessly pushed open a set of double doors, revealing a long room stuffed with overflowing bookshelves taller than he was and glass cases protecting fragile papers.

---

Lina and Gourry trailed after their group as they entered the grand, curving hall that was decorated with alcoves, stands, and hangings or every shape and color. Around each item glimmered a smaller version of the shield that protected the museum. Lina couldn't help but wonder just how effective those shields were, considering how easily Ivy had cut through the big one. Then again, she _had_ had a contact on the inside. Just the same, Lina grinned evilly to herself as she eyed the various treasures. Gourry edged away reflexively.

"You are free to inspect the items from outside the shield, and read the plaques describing the history and powers of each item. If you would like to know more about any of our items, please ask me." Nina -- or was it Ana? -- smiled charmingly and stepped aside, gesturing one arm to release the group into the gallery.

The five tourists spread out, looking at the different items. The first one Lina looked at was a magical necklace, a pretty confection of obsidian and silver that had originally been created to enhance one's lifespan. It was created by a desperate sorcerer for a woman with a terminal illness, but such was the depth of her sickness that it distorted the magic of the amulet, cursing anyone who wore it to certain death. Lina shuddered and moved on. The next one was a tapestry with threads that changed colors, displaying a moving, living scene, though the roughness of the threads made details indistinct. Lina blinked. "Hey, that's the town right outside!" she said.

"That's right," the guide said, stepping up beside Lina. She reached through the shield -- it allowed her through without resistance -- and touched one side of the tapestry. The scene scrolled to the left. She touched the bottom, and the view tilted downward.

"Amazing," Lina breathed, eyes shining.

The girl smiled. "It's like a viewing globe, but more advanced and self-sustaining. Unfortunately the material doesn't lend itself to clarity of picture, but it's still an amazing piece of work, isn't it?"

"Distance-seeing spells are difficult," Lina agreed. "I've never really bothered studying them myself, but I appreciate the work involved."

Someone else stepped up to see the tapestry at work, and as the guide again demonstrated its capabilities, Lina moved down the wall. Here there was a plaque and pegs, but nothing hung from them. She peered at the plaque. "The Demon Scythe," she read aloud. "Huh. Guess they'll be putting something else in this spot." The absent weapon, which Lina was sure was the one Trayna had carried, had the ability to shear through any and all holy magic. Nowadays it wouldn't be so useful since holy magic was nearly nonexistent, surviving only in the form of the healing and exorcism found in white magic, but the plaque added that this artifact also supposedly reacted to chaos magic in some way. However, that was just legend. They didn't know for sure because chaos magic didn't exist in their world. "Sure it doesn't," Lina said to herself with a small smile, turning away.

Gourry was reading the notes on a large scimitar displayed on the other side of the room. Supposedly anything cut by it would explode in grandiose fashion shortly after. It was displayed pointing out from the wall, the blade clear of anything besides air and protected by a shield. "Huh, neat," he remarked. The guide appeared next to him as though summoned by those idle words.

"Would you like a demonstration?" she inquired sweetly.

Gourry blinked. "Uh, sure," he said. The girl reached up and plucked a single hair from her head. She reached forward through the shield, and with a flip of her wrist, tossed the hair onto the blade. The faint momentum of the little thing was enough to slice it in half on the incredible sharpness of the weapon, and each half of the hair immolated before it hit the ground. "Wow, that's deadly!" Gourry said, clapping. Then he asked, "So, where's the sheath?"

The girl sweatdropped. "Well, about that . . ."

Lina and Gourry continued to poke around the gallery for a good hour, investigating all the weapons and artifacts the museum had collected. All of them were powerful and most of them fairly useful, with a few obvious exceptions, but none really caught their eye. Lina was disappointed as the group gathered to leave the hall. "Hopefully the library has some neat stuff. This place is a joke," she muttered to Gourry.

They met up with the other group in the main hall. She waved to Zel as they passed each other, but he was too absorbed in his thoughts to see her. "Huh, wonder if he found what he was looking for," Gourry said, glancing over his shoulder at the retreating chimera.

"Whatever it is," Lina agreed as they walked up to the library doors. Her eyes lit up as their guide pushed them open and entreated them to enter. "Oh, cool, they've got tons of stuff!" She turned to their guide. "What's the most powerful spell you guys have here?"

The girl smiled as though used to getting asked that question. She led them to one of the glass cases. "This is a fragment of a document that claims to describe a chaos magic spell. However, it is incomplete, and no one in our world is capable of casting such a spell anyway." Her smile was smug.

Lina glanced down and scanned the tattered paper briefly. "Oh, that. I know that one," she said, and disinterested, walked away. Gourry nodded knowingly and followed after her. The girl blinked.

Lina pulled out a book on white magic and sat down at one of the tables to leaf through it. The guide was announcing that they'd have an hour to research whatever they liked, but could take no notes, and if they wanted to see more, they'd have to come back the next day. The museum would be open for a week, and everyone was allowed one visit a day, and after that they'd have to wait another year. The information here was too valuable to allow free access.

Gourry wandered down the rows of bookshelves, reading the spines. History of the Four Worlds. Monster Hierarchies. Evolution of Beast People in the East. Shabranigdo -- Legend or Loser? He scratched his head at that one and moved on. The swordsman didn't notice how one of the books tipped itself out slightly after he'd passed it, then tumbled to the carpet with a soft thud and started scooting after him.

In no time Lina had collected several stacks of books, and was flipping through them rapidly, scanning the pages for something new on white or black magic. The guide wandered up, and looked on curiously. Lina smiled brightly. "Gotta keep my skills sharp!" she said. The girl smiled nervously and moved along.

Lina paused at one page, and turned back one to look at a diagram she'd almost skipped over. It showed the interconnection of white and black magic to create chaos magic, but if she hadn't understood chaos magic the way she did, she wouldn't've noticed its significance. "Huh," she said. The diagram indicated that you needed equal parts white and black magic to create a chaos spell of the same level. But that couldn't be right, because she wasn't that good at white magic. Much less holy magic, which was black magic's true equal.

Gourry sat down next to her, moving a stack aside. "See something interesting?" he asked. The little book that had followed him this far scooted under the table, unseen.

"Yeah," Lina said absently, still studying the diagram. "The theory looks right on this, but it's not the way it's been in the past. It just doesn't make any sense." She showed the diagram to Gourry.

Gourry might've had some piece of fascinating intellectual wisdom to share at that point, but just then the book started climbing up his leg. "GAH!" Gourry cried, flailing. His chair fell backwards and he knocked over the table.

Lina blinked as books rained all around her, and then one landed on her head. She tipped it back with one gloved hand to reveal an unamused expression leveled on her prone bodyguard. "What's wrong with you?" she inquired, her tone a little flat. Gourry was rolling around, flapping the arm that the book was clinging to desperately.

"Get it off get it off get it off!" he cried. Lina's expression began to become more amused, but just then the guide ran up, alerted by all the commotion.

"Oh, Mickey!" she cried. "You know better than to bother the guests!" She swooped down and peeled the now unresisting book off Gourry. It cuddled up to her arm, somehow emanating chagrin. "I'm sorry," she said to the swordsman as he scooted away from the perfectly harmless book in terror. "He does this sometimes. I don't know why. Bad Mickey, bad!" She looked down and waved a reprimanding finger at the book, which was nestling in the crook of her arm like it was trying to hide its face. Gourry blinked and peered at it curiously, alarm subsiding.

"A living book, huh?" Lina said, pulling the considerably more normal one off the top of her head. "That's different."

"Named Mickey?" said Gourry. It perked up at Gourry saying its name, and launched itself from the guide's arms into the swordsman's. He caught it reflexively, and held it out at a distance as it squirmed excitedly. "Woah, down boy!"

"I'm sorry," the girl said again helplessly. "He really likes you, I think. He just does this sometimes. Don't worry, he's harmless."

Lina leaned around to look at the cover, upside-down. "Elfin Heritage?" she said. "A book about elves?"

"And by elves, actually," the guide said, sheepish. "Apparently all their books had personalities. This one just reacts to people sometimes, especially I--" She stopped short, embarrassment forgotten. "Mickey. Come."

The book sadly freed itself from Gourry's relaxing grip and fell to the ground, sliding slowly after the guide as she walked away. Gourry waved after it, a little charmed by the thing, and it fluttered a page at him. One of Lina's eyebrows was arched. 'If she was about to say the name I think she was going to say, that puts a whole different spin on things, doesn't it,' she thought.

Gourry started collecting books and righting furniture. Lina looked at him thoughtfully, remembering an old adventure when she'd first seen the Sword of Light. Well, it wasn't like it didn't make sense. Shaking her head, she picked up the next book and leafed through it, but like the rest of the museum, it had very little to offer.

"What's with this place?" Lina grumbled as the group assembled to leave. They started to walk down the hall connecting them to the main entranceway. "It's really famous and they've got all these great protectors, but their actual materials are about average. I don't get it." Gourry shrugged and spread his hands.

In the entrance hall, they were reunited with a still-pensive Zel. Lina decided to grill him as soon as they left, but the two guides seemed to have one more announcement to make from where they stood in front of the first statue. Nina or Ana or whoever stepped forward, a small smile on her lips as before.

"We hope our public collection has interested you and satisfied your scholarly interests," she began. Lina's expression darkened as understanding dawned. "However, we can only offer a few demonstrations of what our private collection contains." Her twin stepped up next to her at that point, and they joined hands; then they began to glow, and Lina heard Zel suck in a startled breath as they shifted into one another, joining to become what became obvious as the glow faded to be an older version of the "twins". "My name is Niana," the woman said.

"Clever," Zel said. "Splitting the soul into two distinct entities, each a half of the original person." The crowd oohed and ahhed. Gourry scratched his head.

Lina's arms were crossed as she gazed at the guide sorceress with a notable lack of delight. "So let me guess, the private collection is accessible only by the Curators?"

The guide smiled as she turned to Lina. Both her eyes and her robes were a blue-purple hue now. "Indeed," she said. "We Curators studied hard and proved our worthiness to study the materials too arcane for public viewing, and to handle the artifacts and weapons too powerful to let the public have free access to." She paused, a pained expression briefly crossing her face. "And for the most part, none of regret the choice to spend our lives dwelling here."

"Oh? And how often does a Curator go bad and try to steal from the museum?" Lina inquired.

"Rarely," the guide replied, her voice hardening. "When they do, it's even more rare that they live. Even those that escape are eventually brought to justice, and the stolen items returned to Ruinana."

Lina smirked a little, but said nothing more. The guide gave them one last thank-you-come-again speech, and showed them out.

---

"I haven't got the time to take the Curator test," Zel muttered, pacing. Lina and Gourry were digging into a late lunch. A second lunch, anyway. Or maybe it was a first dinner. Lina waved a drumstick at him.

"So are you gonna tell us, Zel? I mean, I know I said if it's personal you don't have to talk about it, but it feels like --" She took a bite. "Like we're not helping you as much as we could. Maybe if we knew what you were after, we could help you figure out how to get it."

"Yeah," Gourry agreed, putting down a mug. "We could probably come up with something."

Zel glanced toward them, a brooding expression on his face. Then he sighed and pulled up a chair backwards, sitting down and pulling up his sleeve to reveal the blackened stone skin. "I don't know what it is," he said quietly, "but I'm sure it's not good."

Lina put down her drumstick and leaned forward, eyes wide. "Woah, Zel, that's definitely not good!"

He let his sleeve drop back down and folded his arms across the back of the chair. "The only thing I can think of is that it's been six years, and my body is beginning to wear out," he said grimly. "But I can't find anyone who knows as much about chimeras as Rezo and Erin did. Most chimera sorcerers just make monsters, not humanoid bodies. And none of the places I've been to have any helpful documentation."

"And the ones that might aren't sharing," Gourry commented.

Lina steepled her fingers before her mouth, contemplating. "I hate to take the pity approach," she said after a moment, "but maybe we could explain the importance of the situation and they'd let us see anything they have that's related."

Zel scowled, but nodded. He knew he was in no position to let pride get in the way. "How late are they giving tours tonight?"

"I think they said until midnight," Gourry said. "They're trying to let as many people take tours as they can, and with only ten people at a time they've got a lot of tours to go."

"Heh," Lina said. "Maybe if they made sure the information they put out was more accurate, they wouldn't have that problem. I know I wouldn't've bothered to come all this way if I'd known all the good stuff was in a private collection only for a bunch of zealous, stingy live-in guards."

"Zealous indeed," Zel said. "It sounds like they're going to send someone after Trayna and Ivy. Another good reason why I'm not interested in becoming a Curator just to look at their real collection." He paused. "But anyway, let's go back tonight and see if they'll let us have access to anything useful."

"Here's hoping," said Gourry.

---

Elsewhere, a beautiful woman spoke to a jovial priest.

"Have you found the child yet?" she asked. Her voice was calm, cool, from behind the curtain. Xellos could see her silhouette and her shapely legs as she languidly reached out an arm to pick up a piece of fruit set in a bowl nearby. Although her physical body was the greatest understatement, she liked to keep herself hidden from sight like some kind of ancient royalty.

"No, Master," Xellos said regretfully. His voice and pose were respectful, but not fearful despite the failure he was admitting. He and the woman had had this arrangement for a very long time, and he knew the trust she reposed in him. "There was a complication."

"Do tell."

Xellos wondered why she peeled the fruit when she would not eat it. "A time-taster was involved."

Her movements stilled for the briefest of moments. "Interesting," she said, much as Xellos had said the word the night before.

"Indeed." His mouth crooked into a slight smile. "I was surprised to find one still alive after this long. However, I judged locating the child was of higher priority, and decided to see what form her interference would take before I made my next move."

"Very well." She waved a hand at him. "I don't need to hear the details. I know you'll get the job done."

He knew a dismissal when he heard one. "Yes, Master."

Alone, the Beastmaster said once more, "Interesting."

---

"A private audience?" the gate guard said dubiously.

Zel stood off to the side, arms crossed and shoe tapping on the ground impatiently. He didn't like this and made no effort to hide it. Meanwhile, Lina tried to pump her chosen source for information. "Yeah," she said. "Has it ever happened? And who's the best person to ask?"

"Well . . . All that would've gone through Trayna, before. Now I don't know," he confessed. He looked away at the mention of his crush's name, perhaps feelings the pangs of her betrayal of the city's revered museum. "I don't know any of the other Curators. But I've never, ever heard of someone seeing the private collection who didn't earn it first by becoming a Curator."

"Not even when it's a matter of life and death?" Lina said, her voice low. Gourry looked troubled.

He shook his head. "I don't know. I'm sorry. You should ask one of the Curators . . . There's a couple of tours left tonight."

Lina looked over to Zel. She knew they'd be turned away at the front gate because they'd been there once today already. But in the back of her mind, a plan was brewing -- a surprisingly honest one, actually.

"I'll ask 'em, all right," she said.

At the front gate, Lina asked to see the guard captain. At first they weren't going to let her, used to eager sorcerers wanting more than their permitted access to the museum, but when she identified herself and her companions as those who had been at the battle last night, the guard hurriedly scampered off to fetch his captain. That man proved to be a forty-something grizzled fellow with a short salt-and-pepper beard and gray-shot black hair. He took them to an office behind the gate guard building. Inside, Lina took in the various medals, awards, and exotic weaponry that made up the décor. It seemed Ruinana could afford the best, and this guy was definitely no-nonsense. He was tough to talk around, but when Lina slyly dropped the fact that she knew there had been _two_ traitors, he agreed to take her to the head Curator.

He led them across the lawns and directly to the front entrance. The guards on either side of the door, a new addition, snapped to attention for him as the group moved past. Lina wondered where they were going as they crossed the hall of statues, all immobile as the current tour was probably occupied in the library and gallery. The guard captain led them behind the great scythe-wielding statue, through the second part of the entrance hallway, to a door Lina had not noticed on her first visit. This proved to open to the outside again, where they saw the central building that stood between the wishbone-like wings. They entered and ascended the stairs. Lina realized that the entire top floor must be a giant suite of some kind as they walked into what was obviously a reception area.

A young man sitting at the desk looked up, a startled expression crossing his face before he smoothed it away. Lina and company waited while the captain went over to him and spoke in low, muffled tones, the man's gaze straying to them during the course of his briefing. He nodded, a tiny movement, and the captain turned and walked back to them. "She'll see you." With that, he left.

Lina looked around and chose a padded couch to recline on. "Hopefully she doesn't keep me waiting," she announced to the room.

"Yeah, Lina gets pretty impatient," Gourry added, for the receptionist's benefit. He seemed to ignore them, seated at his desk again and rifling through papers, a quill in one hand. Zel glowered at him, but the man was just as disinterested in that as he was in Lina's and Gourry's remarks.

Before Lina had to worry too much about quelling the urge to start terrorizing the receptionist into action, he looked up again, touching one ear. "Please enter through that door," he said, indicating a door to his left. Lina noticed, then, that he had some sort of odd but very small contraption attached to his ear. Maybe some kind of communications artifact. She'd've loved to have grabbed it and checked it out, but business was at hand. The redhead rose as gracefully as she could from where she'd sunk into the deeply-cushioned couch, collecting Gourry and Zel on the way to the door, which swung open at her lightest touch. Irritated for no reason she could fathom, Lina stepped inside.

The sorceress didn't know what she'd been expecting since she'd only ever seen a handful of Curators, but the prim woman who stood in this room before the fireplace was not what she had expected. A decorous dark red velvet skirt bared only a short length of calf before her slippered feet, and her white blouse closed high on her neck with a jeweled brooch. Black hair was swept back professionally, and blue eyes regarded the group with a certain detachment that didn't obscure the intelligence glowing within her gaze. "Lina Inverse," she said. "Gourry Gabriev. Zelgadis Graywords. It is a pleasure to meet such famous parties. My name is Angela Ray. How may I be of service to you?"

Lina glanced around the room, noting the thick carpeting, rich oak paneling, plush furniture and various discerning pieces of art, all placed with an eye to impress. Very similar to how the woman had tried to impress them with her knowledge, but Lina had bargaining chips she knew the museum wouldn't be able to resist. Her red gaze returned to the woman's cool blue one.

"I might be able to say you owe us personally. I might be able to say you'd owe anyone in a desperate situation. But I just got here and I'm already tired of dancing around. We need to see your private collection. A friend's life is at stake. Are you going to let us?"

No one missed the flash of irritation that passed through Angela's expression at having the issue so bluntly presented. 'Politics,' Lina thought sourly. 'The most politicky I get is threatening to Dragon Slave someone before I do it, and that's rare.'

"What is it you need to see, specifically?" Angela inquired, strolling beyond the fireplace to a short marble statue of a great cat of some kind. She rested a hand on its head, not looking to Lina and her friends.

"Chimeras," Zelgadis spoke up then, gruffly. "Anything to do with chimeras. Anything at all."

She sent him a slightly surprised glance. "Still after your human body, are you? I wouldn't call that a matter of life and death. I'd consider myself lucky to have a powerful body like yours."

Lina decided then and there she didn't like this Angela, but Zel was way ahead of her. He stepped forward, growling, "You have no idea what a curse this is. And you're lucky you don't. But that's not the issue here." He bared his arm to her, and she recoiled, more out of fear from his closeness and anger than the sight of his blackened skin. "I don't have time to play games with you. Answer Lina's question."

"I can't allow it," she snapped back, recovering. "We'd be bogged down by charity cases if that was our policy, unable to make a living, and the danger to our collection would be increased a hundredfold! I'm sorry." She smoothed her skirt, avoiding any of their gazes. "Truly I am. Look elsewhere for your research."

"Then," Lina said before Zel could get really angry, "I have a proposition for you." At that Gourry looked to her, mystified, and Zel sent her an indecipherable glance as well, but Lina went on. "Tell me there's something in your precious little collection that could cure Zel's condition, and I'll offer my services in finding your bothersome turncoats."

Angela turned slowly to study Lina. She knew Lina and company were nothing to be laughed at; that much was obvious. Just the same, much calculation weighed in her expression. "We have our own ways of dealing with internal issues."

"Oh, do you?" Lina took a step forward, crossing her arms loosely. "Tell me, do you know who that guy was that Ivy called a Monster? Do you know why he was there?" She saw the glimmer of uncertainty in Angela's expression, and jumped all over it. "Yeah, that's none other than Xellos, probably the highest-ranking Monster you'll ever see. He's only one step below Monsters like Hellmaster Phibrizzo and Gaav, the Demon Dragon King -- as a matter of fact, I met him while he was working for one or both of them, before they were both destroyed. And I'll tell you right now that no matter how tough you and your Curators are, you're in way over your head if he's involved. You need someone like me who's got connections and knowledge, and the power to make certain personas sit up and take notice. If you want back whatever Ivy and Trayna took, and your museum's reputation restored, you need my help. And all I'm asking for is access to your private collection, which you _know_ I could earn if I had the time or inclination to apply here."

Gourry nodded along like he'd known this plan from the start.

Angela studied Lina in silence for a good, long time. Then she looked to Zel. "Fully half of our private records involved chimeras. If you can't find what ails you in there, I doubt you'll find it anywhere on this continent. I can't guarantee there's a cure, but we're probably your best shot."

Zel's hands unclenched. "I take it, then, you like Lina's idea."

She inclined her head regally. "Yes, Lina Inverse, I will take you up on your offer. I suspected as much as you have said. And with a price like the one you've offered to pay, no one will think to trifle with us under similar circumstances. However."

Everyone in the room tensed on that one word. Lina's eyes narrowed, as she had a feeling she knew what was coming next.

"We cannot blithely hand out trust. The next hopeful would offer the world if he thought we'd let him view our private collection for such a promise. So in all fairness, I cannot give you access to the collection until you have returned Ivy, Trayna, and the artifacts they stole."

Zel gritted his teeth, and Lina moved forward again, placing a hand on his shoulder to restrain him. "I expected no less from you," she informed the woman. "Deny us consideration in the name of the museum if you want. Even believe it if you want. But because we're not going to risk destroying the collection while tearing this place apart to find it, we'll do as you require."

Zel sent Lina a startled look, then, issues temporarily forgotten. 'I was wrong . . . She has changed.' Lina paid no heed, watching Angela carefully for her response. Gourry stepped up next to Lina, silently supportive.

The newly-appointed head Curator's expression was unamused, but she nodded again. "It is done." Just then, the receptionist walked in, bearing two papers and a quill. He handed them to Angela, who signed both with a flourish before handing it to Lina. The redhead scanned the duplicate contract, not showing how impressed she was that the receptionist -- who must've been listening in -- had written it up before she signed both as well. She kept one copy and the man took the other before retreating back to his desk. None of it smelled of deception; the woman knew that Lina would do as she said, even if she was known for somewhat erratic behavior. Every word spoken in this room carried great weight.

"Let's go," Lina said to Zel and Gourry. They left. Angela watched them go with a hint of satisfaction in her eyes.

---

"But nothing exploded today," Gourry said.

Lina stuffed a roll or two in her mouth. Around them she said, "Yeah, well, we'll make up for it. Trust me."

Zel stared off into space, completely unaware of his surroundings. Or so Lina thought until his gaze suddenly shifted to hers. "You surprised me, Lina."

"I did?" She drained a mug and made a happy sound.

Gourry waved a fork around. "You were so cool, Lina. Cooler than a penguin."

Lina chose to ignore that, looking to Zel. The chimera said with a slight quirk to his mouth, "Pretty much what he said."

Lina shrugged expansively, perhaps a bit self-conscious. "Hey, I know I'm all that, but I don't want to take on a hundred of the best sorcerers on the continent at once, even with you guys backing me up. And it'll probably be faster to haul Trayna and Ivy back here than to find a way to sneak into the private collection. I'd just do that if I could."

A bemused expression crossed Zel's face. "I see."

"And," Lina added, "I'm curious."

"Curious?" Gourry said.

"Yeah. I think we'd probably end up crossing paths again with those two sooner or later anyway, knowing how the Monsters like to drag me into everything." She conveniently overlooked all the times she'd willingly interfered in their business first . . . starting with Shabranigdo. "I want to know just what's going on with them. And if I can do that and use it to help out Zel, then there's no reason not to!"

Gourry and Zel were silent as Lina resumed eating. Gourry stirred his noodles serenely, and the slight curve had returned to Zel's mouth.

"So what do we do next?" Gourry asked presently.

"We have no idea where Ivy and Trayna were going," Lina admitted, "so it might be a bit hard to pick up their trail. Still, I know Xellos is keeping tabs on us. Chances are he'll point us in the right direction, the way he does."

"Or in the direction he wants us to go, anyway," Zel muttered.

"Cheer up, Zel!" Lina said. "It won't be too bad -- we'll figure it out. Just like the old days!"

"That's what I'm afraid of," he sighed.

It was well past dark now, and they'd be getting up early in the morning to make travel arrangements, so they bid each other good night. In her pajamas and stowed under the covers, Lina crossed her arms behind her head and stared at the ceiling above her bed. It had been an eventful day; as quickly as that, they had a mission that could very well take them across the continent and back, and attract attention from the Monsters once more. The redhead grinned. It sounded like fun.

---

Although she'd never been much of an early-morning person, Lina forced herself out of bed the next morning before more than a hint of light was showing above the horizon. A quick bath and she gathered her few possessions to leave the room, fairly sure that Gourry and Zel would already be awake. She stopped outside their doors anyway and listened, reassured by the lack of snoring that they hadn't slept in. The redhead had made it at least halfway down the stairs before she realized that someone was talking about her in the otherwise quiet main room.

She stopped, pressing against the wall to disguise her figure in the shadows. They hadn't seemed to notice her footsteps, though, so they couldn't be too perceptive. She caught her name again and listened closely.

". . . after Trayna and Ivy," came a familiar young man's voice. Lina couldn't place it right away. "Probably in return for access to the private collection."

The person he was talking to was too quiet for Lina to hear. The young man said, and Lina realized it was her favorite gate guard, "I don't know. Maybe she's just curious."

The other person spoke again, and Lina thought it sounded male. The gate guard responded, "She has to. I know Trayna. I know I can find her."

A suspicion was forming in Lina's mind. She eased her short sword out of its sheath and carefully took a few more steps down. It sounded like they were standing to the side of the stairwell, and it was just two of them. "Yes, I suppose, but at the same time she'd be my best bet, wouldn't she?" the gate guard said.

Lina jumped the rest of the way down the stairs, her cape flaring as she skidded to a halt facing the two men. The spell was already half-formed before she shouted "SHADOW SNAP!" and hurled her blade into the wooden planks before the second figure, where his shadow was cast by a lantern.

"Oh dear," said Xellos.

The gate guard wore a flabbergasted expression. Lina ignored him, marching up to Xellos and grabbing his cloak to throttle him slightly. "Spying on me, huh? Keeping tabs on me? Since when can't you talk to me yourself, huh?"

"You're up early," Xellos said, with his trademark sanguinity.

Lina pulled him a little closer, and he leaned away as much as he could despite himself. The sorceress said, "I know you once offered to kill me in cold blood, being a Monster and all, but I thought we were friends of a kind. Tell me right now, Xellos, if that's changed."

"Not at all!" Xellos protested, lifting his hands to carefully pluck Lina's off his clothing. He smiled charmingly. "You see, you've got it all wrong, Lina. I was waiting down here for you, and so was this young man, so naturally we struck up a conversation on our common topic."

"Common topic," Lina muttered, stepping back and crossing her arms. Now she favored the gate guard with a look. He took an involuntary half-step back, pushing his glasses up on his nose nervously. "What do you want?"

He visibly gathered some courage. "I want to come with you!" he blurted out.

"Why?" asked Zelgadis, who slipped out of the shadows of the staircase behind Lina. She didn't jump, like she'd known he was there all along. Whether she really did or not, however, is a matter worthy of debate.

"I . . . I want to find Trayna. To talk some sense into her. And I can help you find her, I know where she's from, what she can do and where she's likely to go. I can take care of myself, I won't be a burden." As he looked at her entreatingly, Lina decided that he reminded her of a puppy, albeit one who seemed pretty determined at the moment. She directed her attention back to the priest, and the young man seemed to sense that it was an encouraging sign that she hadn't dismissed him out of hand and kept silent.

"And you, Xellos? Why were you waiting for me?"

"Why, I'd like to come with you too!" Xellos beamed.

"No way. Absolutely not," said Zelgadis.

"I'm hungry!" declared Gourry as he walked down the stairs, through the group, and over to a table, oblivious to the messy situation. The innkeeper, still yawning, took his order and his order for Lina as well. Lina resisted the urge to yell out a few more sides to add, concentrating on the Monster and gate guard.

"Are you going to tell me why, or what you know about what's going on?" Lina inquired of Xellos.

"Well, you see, that's a --"

"Don't say it." Lina turned back to the gate guard. "What's your name?"

Xellos said as an aside to Zel, "She's even bossier than she used to be, isn't she?" The Monster then stepped forward and pulled out Lina's short sword, as presumably he could have at any time; Zel looked unamused, but Lina took it in stride as he handed the weapon back to her.

"Derec," the gate guard said. Lina looked at him, really looked at him for once, since he seemed destined for more than NPC status. His hair was black, eyes blue, and he seemed to have just outgrown the lankiness of teenagehood although a certain innocence and idealism still clung to him. He wore a black-trimmed green uniform, the Ruinana guard uniform, and wore a sword at his left hip and a knife or dagger of some kind on his right. The wire-framed glasses perched on his nose lent him a scholarly air, and the way he spoke indicated intelligence, but the way he moved indicated he knew how to use the weapons he carried. There was also a certain proper, noble manner to him.

"What's your last name?" Lina questioned, becoming aware of a certain resemblance thing young man carried to someone she had met recently.

"Ray," Derec said, like an admission. "Derec Ray. You know my aunt."

She didn't ask him how he'd gotten the job as a gate guard. If his aunt, who must have been second in line to being head Curator, had loaned any influence to him, he likely would've had a more glamorous job. "Let's sit down and eat while we sort this out," Lina said after a moment, feeling her stomach rumble. Its premonition was accurate, as always, as the innkeeper walked out with several trays heaped with food. She was at the table before the man even reached it.

"But some things don't change," Xellos mused.

"Damn straight," Lina replied, grabbing a plate of poached eggs. Zel silently seated himself, and Xellos chose a chair as well; Derec seemed bewildered, but followed their lead. Zel said to the former gate guard, "You get used to it."

"Does that mean I can come with you guys?" he asked hopefully. He was barely audible over the ruckus of Lina and Gourry's fighting and feasting. The innkeeper was busy bringing more food for the others.

"Yeah, why not," Lina replied after a moment, stabbing one of Gourry's pieces of toast. He promptly stabbed it as well, pinning it in place, so Lina eyed his bacon. "You could be useful," she added, picking up a glass of orange juice.

Xellos didn't ask if he would be allowed to come or not. Lina didn't try to tell him whether he could or not. Zelgadis gave it up as a lost cause, and Gourry was oblivious.

"So, Derec, where do you think Trayna's gone, with Ivy presumably in tow?" Lina asked in between bites.

"Seyruun," he said, picking at his hash browns.

Lina, Gourry, and Zelgadis stopped eating and exchanged looks. Xellos' smile broadened, but he said nothing. "Why there? Gourry asked.

"She's always wanted to go there," Derec said. "It's the center of learning for white magic, isn't it? She loves white magic."

Lina remembered the semi-useless scythe Trayna had chosen to wield, despite the fact it wasn't even part of the private collection, but a publicly displayed item. It had had something to do with holy magic. Could that be what Trayna was after, the long-lost discipline of holy spellcasting? But why? It had to be more than scholarly interest if she was willing to antagonize a whole museum full of zealous sorcerers. Well, they'd probably find out more in Seyruun. Lina didn't doubt they'd catch up with another old friend there, as well.

"Just like the good ol' days," Lina said, echoing her words from the night before as she finished off the last of her meal. "At this rate we'll trip over Filia when we walk out the door."

Xellos shuddered. "Don't say such things, Lina!" She grinned, pushing her chair out from the table.

"Hurry up and finish eating, guys, I'm eager to hit the road."

---

_Mer's Notes:_

_I revised this episode a bit, cut out some dull parts and added some interesting parts. I'll have to start over episode three, but it's worth it, don't you think? We'll see what becomes of Derec in a cast of such colorful characters, and what happens when they get to Seyruun -- though don't be surprised if they have some misadventures along the way! More action in the next episode, I promise. Till then, leave some feedback, it matters a lot to me!_


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